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Topic: Cry of Freedom (Chapter I) (Read 23025 times)

With a soft grunt, Cloudstrider picked up the woman's unconscious body and slung her over his back. It would surely draw attention, true, but enough attention had been drawn to them that it didn't much matter at this point. He walked as quickly as he could back to the skyknight and draped the Hununtton on Moonwing's back, tucking her quiver and bow into the saddlebags. "I'm not sure what you want to do with this one," he said to the skyknight, picking up his javelins as he spoke. Reaching the fountain, he nodded to Tahar as he washed his hands and the one bloodied javelin. "You seem decent enough, so I'm hoping nothing sinister. Can't just have her bleed in the street, though."

He shook his hands dry, leaving tendrils of crimson in the once clear fountain. "Anyway, we oughta move out. Someone will probably be here shortly to make accusations and throw on the manacles." He turned again to the skyknight. "If you're well enough to ride, we could hide out and finish binding you up, maybe figure out what to do with her." Cloudstrider looked Tahar over. "You sure you're okay with handling the guards? Don't want to leave you with the short end of the stick. Don't forget about that one, too," he said with a nod to the approaching Naraias. With a lower voice, he muttered, "Looks like he could use all the help he can get."

<OOC: If the skyknight agrees, Cloudstrider's ready to fly away and figure out what his mortally important info is, and do something with the Hununtton.>

"If you are able to deal with the constabulary you have my thanks friend." The Skyknight said. "My name is Dom. Jajix and Sharashka used to be my home. There is an inn on the far side of Sutherland, it doesnt have a name, but there is a large eyrie for the mounts and it is easy to find. There is a large red star painted on the roof. The barkeep is named Van Rufus, tell him you are with me and your stay as needed will be reduced in price. I will relate to you my information there." He spoke softly and quickly.

*****

(OOC - After Jajix, Cloudstrider and Naraias leave, which I am assuming they will)

Tahar saw the constrable coming, riding a drab brownish-grey kestrel. The bird came to a hover above the plaza before settling near the fountain. He dismounted and patted the bird on the neck before approaching Tahar and the corpse of Atard. "Dead bodies weren't in the weather forecast." the man scowled, looking at the erstwhile paladin. "I've got one splattered three blocks from here and one here with his skull split in half. I want to know what in Gods' balls is going on here." He shouted.

Dom is a title, basically the same as Sir, and is an abbreviation of Dominus, or Domino

"Well, my good constable, we have had several Hununtton Stalkers attempting to kill a Skynight. It sounds like the first you found was slain by the skynight himself, while two others were felled by various citizens doing their civic duty. The unfortunate with the head wound was my work, I'm afraid. I was a little too zealous in my attempt to bring him under control. The fourth is still alive, having been tended to by a priest, whome I did not make aquaintence with. The last I saw of her was with the Skynight and the aforementioned priest.

"You remained to discuss the matter?" the Constable looks confused for a moment, and Tahaar might be able to gleen why, criminals run, they lie, they hide. They dont stand next to the dead body, claim the deed, and wait for the authorities to show up. One of the bystanders steped forward, a shop keeper by the looks of her calloused hands and dirty apron, "He is tellin the truth, Constable, those fellows came a chasin after that 'knight and if it wasnt for this man they would have killed him and carried his body off for sure." she said.

The Constable rubbed his chin while some of his men, town guardsmen on foot started to pick up things in the square. "Tell you what, you take me to this Skyknight and this priest, and let me see what this She-stalker has to say about the mess and we'll go from there?" The constable said, still scowling. "If it works out, you might could have a job in the town guard, I could use a fellow like you, good and upstanding and wicked with an axe. That is assuming that nothing goes foul between here and there."

The flight across Sutherland was a slow one, Moonwing labored under her heavy load, while the Hununtton skyhawks were obviously reaching the end of their endurance. The trio of riders hung close together, and Jajix pointed down towards a cluster of buildings that was a town. Near the edge was a large flat building with a faded red star painted on the roof, the eyrie for the birds easily noticed as they circled closer and landed. Two grooms assisted in stabling the birds, something the weary skyhawks were obviously grateful for. Tierney, the silver erne was less agreable, but the larger eagles and great hawks were known for being tempermental. There was some concern over Zizi, as very few of the great insects came up from the lower reaches of Epoa, but the grooms, with some help, cleaned out a stall outside of the Eyrie. It wouldn't do to have one customer's mount eat someone else's.

jajix spoke to a man with a thick red beard and arms like smoked hams who glowered at the new arrivals up and until the point that he laid eyes on Cloudstrider. Afterwards the man's dour mood broke like brittle glass and was replaced with a hearty smile, something that left even Jajix somewhat astonished.

"Rufus is feeling generous, he will let us have rooms no questions asked for 30 gold pieces, that's two rooms which is all he has available at the moment." Jajix rubbed his chin. "We can get her inside before she draws any more attention to us," he said looking at the Hununtton.

(OOC - Players may feel free to post actions while they wait for Tahar to arrive, Tahar should be along about 20 minutes later with the Constable. Taitanath will not regain consciousness during this time.)

Cloudstrider nodded, the unconscious Stalker in his arms. "Very well," he said with elven patience. "Let's get her inside then. She'll be alright, the wound is starting to clot. But I'm more curious of you, Dom." The cleric's eyes fluttered, as though a thought came to him. "You mentioned you had vital news to share. I reckon we ought to hear it. Hununttons don't fly like that after just anybody; whatever you've got to say must be terribly interesting."

"You are quite correct, you are." Dom Jajix said, his mood turning dour. A groom, one who had barely managed to keep both hands after stabling the knight's erne, lead them to a large room, the largest in the tavern. Cloudstrider eased the wounded woman down onto one of the small cots, her complexion was pale, but she seemed to be looking a bit better. It would be a good while before she felt like climbing back into the saddle or picking up the bow again. That of course was moot if she didn't wake up.

"Friends, I feel I may call you such, I will share my tale, though it is a sour one. I assume you all know what occured to Sharashka, her cities ruined, her people slain, and my once great order shattered and reduced to a half-handful of surviving Skyknights. The Hununttons still hunt anyone who wears the skyknight's device. I know of the means by which Sharashka was laid ruin, and for that knowledge my life is no longer forfeit, but has a bounty attached to it." He took a deep breath and looked over at the woman on the cot, his expression was mixed.

"They have a new type of weapon, a new sort of skyship that is nigh impervious to arrow and bolt, built all around like a beetle but the size of a Sharashkan Cloud Galleon. It destroyed our ships, the rest of the Hununtton fleet following it like starlings, our strongest ships were broken, our faster ships fell to theirs, we were defeated through and through. We skyknights braved attack after attack against the thing, but our arrows only found metal, though theirs found flesh and blood, man and avian alike. Then, it disgorged from it's keel barrels that blew apart with great force, and stones the weight of a man that cracked walls, broke bridges, and killed any who were unlucky enough to be caught under one. After this I do not know how the Hununttons were able to so quickly law waste to the Citadel of the Boyar, but indeed they did. I was wounded and came close to death's shadow, but Tierney, my erne, she flew me away from the battle and to a safe place."

He sighed, his shoulders slumped. The story was painful to tell, prior to their breaking, the Skyknights of Sharashka numbered nearly 200 mounted warriors of the first quality, plus the Sharashkan armada, though the product of but one island was considered large and strong. Those ships were flinders and flotsam on the sea so far below. Those brave men and women were dead, their graves lost in the waves. He took a deep breath. "My health recovered, I sought to find revenge, and I found where this behemoth make's it's roost, a high island, a monsterous place where stone has been joined with pantarbe and steel, dozens of small and tiny islands hammered together with girders of metal, moorings of rope, and the sweat of many men."

"I know where it sleeps, and for that, they will hunt me down and do their best to kill you. To speak the name of that island makes you a marked man. I seek others to help me spread the word, so that Sharaska's fate doesnt befall other islands, and that I might infiltrate the island and see some method to destroy that infernal vessel..." He said, looking weak for the telling.

Naraias looked lost. The knight told tales of murder and adventure, though Naraias was but a simple rogue. Yet, the tale moved him still, for if what the knight said was true, no place on Epoa would ever be safe. The metal dreadnought might eventually arrive, and all would be forfeit.

"Sure, there must be some weakness to this... thing?", Naraias said, his voice weak at first.

"Are you telling me you, the Skyknights, couldn't even scratch the thing?"

Tahar accompanied the guard as they headed accross town to the nameless tavern that the Skynight had mentioned. Hopefully nothing untoward was happening to the hunter. Since there was a Skynight present, he had no real concerns about that - though not followers of the Azure Lord they were still known to have much honor. This issue should be settled soon.

Tahar and the Constable found the Inn with no difficulty, the Constable knew exactly where it was and called it the Red Star, rather plainly. Rufus and the Constable spared each other a knowing nod of the head, Sutherland wasnt exactly a giant of an island and for the most part most islanders knew the rest of the residents. He told Tahar where his associates could be found, upstairs in the adjoined rooms, on the left. It was quiet as they entered the room. The Hununtton was still unconscious, but the bandages were no longer staining with blood and she seemed to have stabilized and was breathing easier. The only thing left to do was wait to see if she would ever wake from her slumber.

"Well, this one looks bandaged up pretty good." the constable said. "I'd like to know what happened out there." The man said, arms relaxed, and at his side. If he was expecting a threat, it didnt show.

"If I may," Jajix stood slowly, like the stalker he was wounded and half held together with bandages, "I was persued her by four Stalkers of Hununtton. I am not a criminal and have commited no crime other than to find out one of their secrets. For that my life was made forfeit and these four were sent to collect the debt. I will admit freely that I did kill two of the men, one here in Sutherland, the other in Hununtton territory but in honorable combat. THe third was killed in combat as well and died with his weapon drawn."

"It was an act of defense, Constable," Cloudstrider chimed in gently. "I bandaged up this one as much as I could. If we were criminals, we'd have left her dead in the streets." He offered a faint, slight smile. "As it is, one does wonder why four Stalkers would chase a lone rider at arrowpoint into Sutherland. Doesn't seem much like Honunttons to go after a quarry with that kind of zeal unless he had something important to them." Out of the corner of his eye, he waited for a reaction from the Dom. If his tale was true, he'd probably be eager to state it.

For the cleric, it did sadly reek of truth. Honunttons had treaded many a time into Kaduai Nation, rarely with any courtesy and never with elven consent. Young Kaduai braves looking to prove themselves occasionally forced Hununtton prospectors off of the islands, each time resulting in some sort of retaliation. The Honunttons cared little for anyone but themselves, letting pantarbe-starved islands sink into the endless seas, inhabitants and all, so long as the precious mineral was totally mined out. It was probably even within their power to create such a massive, impenetrable airship. If they indeed had such a thing, it would need to be stopped. Somehow.

"I've no love for the Honunttons, they cause nothing but trouble on tread on too many toes. It's going to get them in trouble one of these days. I dont like trouble on my island, and she is trouble. You didnt bring here her as a get out of jail free card, you did it because it was the right thing. I'd like you too keep doing the right thing, especially if the right thing takes you away from Sutherland by morning."

"I'll have to make a report of the events, it'll be easier to say I dont know where you are if it is true. And no survivors is much easier on the report than a wounded woman." The constable said, clapping Tahar on the shoulder.

*****

After the constable left, Jajix spoke, "If you will help me, we will need to make a plan."

Cloudstrider gazed at the woman. "She needs some rest, but she will live. I expect that we could wake her, if need be." He looked back to the skyknight Jajix. "What I'm curious about is what exactly you have in mind to do. Venturing as a wanted man into Honuntton territory is dangerous enough, let alone searching after - and, I'd assume, destroying - their secret impenetrable warship."

"We will need allies, to alert the other nations to Honuntton's black plans, that is why they are mining out the islands, why Sharashka and the High Temple of the Azure Lord, the isles of Lagerhans and the Lesser Wedge island all were destroyed. They need pantarbe, great amounts of it to make this type of ship, and it is beastly and slow, but nigh invulnerable." He stopped and took a drink from a wooden mug.

"That is why they want me dead, I know where they are building the ships, I know how to find Gantris. As for getting in, that is why I have been seeking allies, for the only way I know is the way of the warrior and against such odds in open battle, I would be a sparrow before a hurricane. I know little of sneaking, and less of magic."

"Well then... Where do we find allies?", Naraias asked, pacing restlessly around the room.

Throwing his arms open, his palms upwards in a gesture of innocense or curiosity; "If these leviathans are as I've heard, and if these Honunttons are as formidable as you say, we will need powerful allies indeed."

The diminutive thief stared at the floor for a moment, his left hand caressing his bald pate.

"We need somewhere safe... Somewhere to awaken and question our prisoner... Somewhere to approach allies. We need a big, important city and we need to go there by ship"

The Pirate Airpinnace "Red Albatross" was in harbour. Peyata McGraven was an old, if not dear, acquaintance of his. Perhaps they could buy passage aboard his vessel, for it was among the fastest vessels in the region. However, rather than risk traveling with cut throats, he'd rather explore other options first

"Hmmm... Anyone know of good transports to one of the more powerful neighbouring cities?"

"Kaduai Nation would be willing to fight," Cloudstrider said assuredly, leaning against the wall near the Honuntton's bed. "And they would give us a save haven. But they would hardly be enough for a war. Our numbers are small, even if our spirit is not." The half-elf tapped his finger against his jawline in thought. "We'd best evaluate our needs. Some city that has no friendly ties to the Honunttons, with enough men, mettle and craft to put up a fight. What cities near here would be friendly to us?"

<OOC: Naraias has no lore skills, just thieving and talking ones. But he has sailed the skies aboard a pirate vessel, and he has been involved in local smuggling. If Naraias knows of anything proper, please post it in an OOC for all to see, or in a private message>

The scene fades to black... the heroes take the evening and rest and recuperate from the battle. Magic DM wand is waved and all PCs are restored to full HP.

Taitanath groaned, she was trapped again, her body slowly being constricted under the weight of the collapsed house. She wept as she felt aftershocks shaking the ground under her. She tried to move, but found her hands and feet stuck fast, she couldn't move her arms at all, and it was tight around her chest...

Cloudstrider was roused to waking by the sounds of the captive. Her face was drawn tight, she was dreaming and she woke with a start, pulling at her bandages and the bindings that the skyknight had requested. She looked from Cloudstrider to the hulking lump of the still sleeping skyknight and she visibly sagged and fell back onto the bedding.

Tahar arose from his sleep - surprised the evening had passed undisturbed. After his travels he appreciated the steady ground beneath, if not the heavy roof overhead.

He started the simple ritual that did homage to the Azure Lord. Scripture dictated that it was performed under the open sky, but the situation demanded otherwise. He would of course do penance at the next opportunity.

The ritual was a slow, silent dance, hands tracing the path of the sun as it travelled through the Azure Lord's domain. He drew his arms into himself and then splayed them out to the unseen heavens. Here too he deferred to his circumstances - the joyous shout that normally ended the ritual would be most disturbing to his companions.

He sat down again and began preparing for the day, waiting for his companions to stir..

A soft smile rested on Cloudstrider's face as he stretched, rising from the bed. "Well, good morning," he said quietly to the bound raider. "I hope you slept well, you probably could've used the rest." He stood and walked over to her, his eyes glancing to the window. It was still before dawn, Kata Rangi's glory not yet rising from the sea below. The paladin had already risen, it seemed: Tahar was an early riser like himself, the Kaduai figured. The earlier the better, if they were to make any headway in their plans. With a flew of his fingers, Cloudstrider reached toward the Honuntton. "Let's see those wounds, then."